OK
by Cereal-Killa
Summary: He just wanted her to feel OK, to know she was safe, to feel the way she should always feel- beautiful. Duncan/Courtney, to celebrate 70 stories!


**OK**

_Summary: He just wanted her to feel OK, to know she was safe, to feel the way she should always feel- beautiful. Duncan/Courtney, to celebrate 70 stories!_

The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and Courtney Meeks was doing the usual- screaming.

"I'm late!" She yelled, her brown hair a mess as she leaped out of bed. She grabbed the alarm clock which had fallen off the nightstand and slipped away from the plug. She plugged it back in to see the time- 10 am. She shrieked in terror as she realized what this meant.

"I'm TWO HOURS late!"

At that very moment, a reluctant Duncan Hastings awoke to the very high and pitchy sounds wafting through his bedroom window. He sat his legs down over the side edge of the mattress, and sighed as he saw the time- 10 am. He cracked his neck and walked up to his balcony.

Duncan never really did like his balcony, for the fact that his rich-chief-of-police parents had paid for the over-sized town house (he hated them), it looked girly, and that it was up four floors. He knew they only gave him the highest bedroom because they were waiting for him to commit suicide. But it had grown on him. He found it the best place to spray paint and be alone.

Except for when Courtney was there.

Courtney was Duncan's next door neighbor, classmate, and enemy. They had been arguing over their balconies every morning since 5th grade, when Duncan first moved in, and they both always rudely commented on each other. They had never seen the inside of the others house though. But the balconies- well, Duncan could tell you how hers looked blindfolded.

She changed out the flowers every month, currently being red carnations. There was a cherry wood chair sitting outside, with thick and boring books hidden under it. There was a small dog house sitting to the side, which contained her big German Shepherd puppy, Ditto. Out of everything there, Ditto had the most character. Ditto was the only thing with character.

Courtney trudged out to her balcony, looking for her text book, which she knew she had put under her chair. As she searched, she heard a low whistle. She scowled.

Duncan.

Courtney found Duncan revolting, and had since that day in 2nd grade when they first met. When she heard about the new neighbors three years later, she had been so happy. Until he was there.

She had never seen the inside of his house, but she could draw a very detailed and accurate sketch of his balcony at anytime.

A new spray painted skull appeared every day, and it was always red. The only time he ever changed it up was during Christmas, which was when he sprayed some green on there too. He had two lighters under the plastic lawn chair, and cigarette packages scattered everywhere (she had no idea if they were empty or not). There were a few chunks of woods sitting to the side, which he usually sat down and carved into. He always claimed he stole it. She was very sure she had smelled that distinct scent you get when you ever you walk pass the druggies in the hall coming out of his window about twenty times- she was so sure he sold pot that it barely bothered her anymore. Overall, there was nothing there that was really legal. The only legal thing was probably the lawn chair.

Courtney turned sideways to look at her criminal neighbor. "And just what are you whistling at?" She hissed.

He smirked. "Your body. Never knew the C.I.T. showed that much skin." He looked her up and down, gesturing to the tiny tank top and small pajama shorts.

The freckled girl blushed brightly, now noticing his body too. He had on no shirt, just a pair of baggy shorts. It was hot, but she could never admit that. "Maybe you should try putting on some clothes too, delinquent." She sneered, eyes still on his washboard abs.

"Whatever, you know you like it." Duncan smirked playfully. He then noticed her rush. "What's the rush anyway? Not like you gotta be anywhere."

She scoffed. "**School**, Duncan!" She continued searching under the chair. "I have to get to school!" She threw her hands in the air, looking up at the sky, that why-me-lord look stuck to her face.

Duncan snorted. "Hey Princess?"

She turned violently, shooting daggers across the balcony. She _hated _it when he called her that. "What?"

He took a deep breath before he spoke his words. "It's Sunday." He chuckled, watching the color drain from her face. He just loved it. He loved it when he was right and she was wrong. It was just one of Duncan's moments. "No school today."

At that moment, Ditto came out of his doghouse, and began barking at Duncan. He did this every morning until Duncan greeted him. "Hey Ditto." Ditto wagged his tail and trumped to his now shell-shocked master. He remembered that she claimed to have trained him very well. He barked as a greeting, he begged when he was supposed to, and he came to her whenever she was there.

She still stood there, mouth agape.

Duncan decided to be at least a bit friendly. "Hey, look on the bright side. Now you can go out and have fun, whatever your definition for that might be." He stared at her, searching for something in her eyes.

She sighed, not looking at his eyes. "I guess." Duncan expected her to walk back in, but then she sat, and Ditto started licking himself- loudly. She whipped him on the head softly, and he whined, but stopped. "I haven't been very lucky the past few days."

It sounded like she wanted Duncan to listen. She usually never talked to him, unless she was bragging about something. He almost left, but then noticed the melancholy expression on her face. Why kick a dog when they were down? He sighed, and knew he had to stop hanging around his mother so much. He took a seat in the old lawn chair and heard her out. "How so?" He sighed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

She shrugged. "I haven't got an A on not one test the past week; I've tripped more times this month than Bridgette does in a year." Duncan couldn't help but snickered. Malibu always was a bit clumsy, or so Geoff told him. "And…" she said quietly. "My parents have been fighting."

He raised a brow. "Fighting?"

"Yeah." He saw her eyes well up a little. "They've been fighting, and I think their gonna… get a divorce or something." She sniffed, taking a hand and rubbing Ditto's head softly.

"Oh." Duncan said. He wasn't good at being sympathetic. "Hey, why are you telling me about this?"

She scowled, as Ditto nuzzled into her lap. "I'm only telling you because… well, you'd be honest about it." She sighed. "I told Bridgette, who said it would all be alright, but it's not. I told Gwen, who said she felt sorry, but I don't want people feeling sorry for me. I'm tired of people trying to cheer me up. What I need is somebody to be blunt and tell me the truth."

"And I'm that person?" He smirked.

She scoffed, pushing Ditto off her, getting up. "I knew I shouldn't have told you anything."

He rolled his eyes, but spoke up when he saw here heading for her door. "Hey," he said, licking his lips. "I get it, OK?"

Her shoulders started shaking, and then she turned to him. "How do you _get it, _Duncan?" She threw her arms in the air, making Ditto howl. "How do you get what it feels like to have your parents fight? They've never gotten a divorce!"

Duncan raised a brow, steadily keeping himself calm and composed. "My parents fight all the time. The difference is that they fail to acknowledge it." He looked to Courtney with a sour look on his face. "You aren't so special. A lot of people have divorced parents."

Courtney raised a finger to shush him but realized he was right, there was nothing different about her and millions of other people. 50% of marriages didn't last, how could she have ever blinded herself into thinking everything was so perfect…? She felt her eyes begin to well up with tears.

Duncan's eyes widen. "Hey!" He yelled, and she turned, her tears pouring out silently. "Hey," his voice softened while Ditto started licking Courtney's toes. "It's OK, alright? Do you hear me?" He asked, his chest feeling really heavy after seeing her cry. She nodded quietly and all slow-like. He bit his lip, thinking. "Just.. don't get upset, OK? They might stay together, trust me, parents just fight sometimes. And you're tough. So don't cry."

He felt his breathing settle down as she took and deep breathe and wiped away her tears. After a minute of settling herself, she pointed toward the house and said quietly (or as quietly as you could over the distance of a balcony), "I'm going back in." Duncan nodded and watched her as she made her way back in, Ditto following her the whole way, sniffing at her feet.

As he peered at her balcony now, it didn't look so girly or fake anymore… just more like Courtney. He couldn't get the image of her tears spilling down her face away from his head, the way her cheeks flushed, the way she wouldn't look him in the eye, as though she was ashamed.

The next day, Duncan found himself pissed at the thought of another Monday, thoughts of Courtney still swiveling through his head, wondering if she was alright. He found himself looking for her at school that day- what the hell was wrong with him?

At the end of the day, as he neared his house, he decided it would probably be smarter to just give up on the whole Courtney problem because she's probably fine, probably fine without him, didn't need him-

He swerved around as he heard her simple words. "You were wrong." He turned to see her small face, her eyes red, her hair a bit frizzy, but she was still beautiful all the same. "They're separating."

At that, he felt his whole stomach drop. As much as he had felt that maybe Courtney's parents were just having problems, he couldn't help but feel that it was his fault for getting her hopes up. Duncan expected that now she might hit him, might look at him like he was vermin, might walk back home and never look his way again. As much as he told himself he didn't care, something in the back of his mind was feeling nervous, as though the last thing he wanted was for her to go away.

She laced her hands around him and hugged him tight, taking in his smell, burying her face into his chest. Courtney felt her heart skip a beat as his arms held her just as tightly as she held him. "I'm sorry," she heard him whisper into her hair. "I'm really sorry."

"Don't be." She said, wiping away her tears, pulling away from him, but only a little bit, liking the feeling of her in his arms. "I… I asked them, you know, about what was going on. They were planning on telling me in a month, but you helped me ask them, and… thank you." She meant it. As much as it sucked knowing her parents weren't going to be together any more, the worrying feeling was gone, wasn't eating her away any more. She was past it. And she felt a lot better.

He looked to her with a certain sparkle in his eyes. "I'm still sorry."

Courtney snorted at him, rolling her eyes. "I'll get over it." She felt her heart flutter as the words slipped out of mouth. "Do you wanna go get something to eat?" Why had she said that? She couldn't figure it out, but a part of her told her maybe she had said because she had meant it. She did want to go out- I mean, EAT with him! Who said anything about dating?

Duncan felt himself smile as he laced an arm around Courtney. "Yeah," he said, pulling her closer. "I'd like that."

A/N: Omigod, Cereal, you are too sappy! Just STOP. Please.

Well, I'm sorry! I can't help the fact that I like happy, fluffy, no plot-ness. :D

By the way, this was to celebrate my new goal reached: 70 stories! Again, this is now 71… ugh! Can I never win?

But that means 30 (or 29?) more stories until 100!

Thanks for reading!


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